Ward 17 of Emptiness

Lore: Crafted by ascetic mystics seeking to transcend the material world, the Ward of Emptiness creates a zone where physical form and worldly attachments are weakened.  It is said the whispers of old spirits linger within the ward, carrying with them the wisdom of impermanence.

Tier One Stats:

• Effect: Within the ward’s area, physical objects appear faded and less substantial. Beings in the ward have difficulty engaging with the material world. All attacks on beings inside the ward have disadvantage.
• Range: 10-foot radius, centered on the ward
• Duration: 1 hour

Skills:

• Discorporation: The user can momentarily dismiss their own physical form within the ward, becoming translucent and immune to physical attacks for a brief period.
• Spirit Sight: The user gains glimpses of spirits or immaterial entities that linger within the ward’s radius.

Requirements:

• Knowledge of a meditative discipline focused on detachment.
• A relic or fragment from a site of great spiritual significance.

Tags: Ward, Spiritual, Defensive, Ethereal

Description:  Ward 17 of Emptiness takes various forms depending on the mystic who created it.  Some appear as etched obsidian disks, others as scrolls bound with strips of threadbare cloth. Regardless of appearance, the object carries a sense of stillness and a faint air of incense.

Considerations:

• Balance: To maintain balance, the ward’s area of effect or duration might be further limited. Alternatively, the user could suffer fatigue or other drawbacks after frequent use of its skills.
• Themes: This ward could fit well with characters on a spiritual quest, or those wishing to evade physical confrontations in favor of escape or subtle tactics.
• Narrative Possibilities: The Spirit Sight skill could open up encounters with ghosts, ancestors, or forgotten entities tied to a location.

Availability and Trade

• Hidden Markets: The Ward of Emptiness would likely be found in clandestine marketplaces. These might exist in obscure monasteries, secluded enclaves of mystics, or in shadowy gatherings of spiritualists and seekers of unusual artifacts.
• Barter or Quests: Those who possess the Ward would rarely part with it for simple coin. More likely, an exchange would involve barter for rare ingredients, specific favors, or the completion of a spiritual quest that tests the buyer’s dedication.
• Value: Given its unique properties, the Ward 17 of Emptiness would be incredibly valuable. The exact price would depend on the seller’s motives and the circumstances surrounding the exchange.

Here are some situations to illustrate how the Ward of Emptiness might be used:

• Sanctuary: In a bustling city or amidst harsh terrain, the ward could create a pocket of stillness and tranquility for meditation or rest, undisturbed by the external world.
• Ritual Site: Used to protect a location during a significant ritual. The weakened barrier between the material and immaterial within the ward could aid in communing with otherworldly entities.
• Infiltration and Escape: For stealthy individuals, the ward could blur their physical presence, aiding in infiltration or swift escape. Temporarily fading from existence (while using the Discorporation skill) can allow for passing through small openings or momentarily eluding pursuers.
• Battleground Disruption: A clever user might deploy the ward in a tactical way during a chaotic battle. Weakening physical forms and imposing disadvantages on those within its effect can sow confusion and disorder amongst enemies.

Additional Thoughts

• The scarcity of Ward 17 of Emptiness and its connection to spirituality would contribute to its overall mystique and value.
• It’s a tool that rewards creative thinking. It’s not a source of overwhelming power, but rather an object that grants unconventional options for those who understand its nature.

Activation perceptions, across the five senses and even extra-sensory abilities, for Ward 17 of Emptiness.

• SIGHT
  • Perceived: A subtle shimmer in the air outlines the ward’s area. Objects and beings within appear washed out, slightly translucent, as if fading from existence.
  • Description: The visual effect isn’t dramatic, but it hints at the ward’s influence over material reality.
  • Positive: Aids in identifying the area affected by the ward.
  • Negative: Offers no direct insight into the ward’s more potent abilities.
• SOUND
  • Perceived: A slight hum or low buzzing fills the area of the ward, as if the air itself is vibrating at a different frequency.
  • Description: The sound is constant, reminiscent of faint wind chimes on a still day.
  • Positive: Gives a noticeable auditory identifier for when the ward is active.
  • Negative: Could be distracting in situations requiring complete silence.
• TOUCH
  • Perceived: Surfaces within the ward’s area feel curiously insubstantial, as if lacking some solidity. There’s a sensation akin to static electricity when reaching into the space.
  • Description: A clear physical cue that something has altered within the ward’s boundary.
  • Positive: Reinforces the concept of the ward weakening physical form.
  • Negative: May cause unease for those unknowingly stepping into its area.
• SMELL
  • Perceived: A faint scent of old parchment and sandalwood lingers within the ward.
  • Description: A delicate, evocative smell consistent with the ward’s spiritual qualities.
  • Positive: Enhances the ward’s mystical presence and offers a subtle way to detect its activation.
  • Negative: The scent could attract attention in environments where it stands out.
• TASTE
  • Perceived: Air within the ward tastes slightly metallic and stale.
  • Description: This effect likely only registers if deliberately sampled.
  • Positive: A potential avenue for detecting the ward if other senses are compromised.
  • Negative: The unpleasant taste serves as a sensory deterrent from being fully within the ward’s effect.
• EXTRA-SENSORY
  • Perceived (Sixth Sense/Intuition): A growing sense of detachment from the immediate surroundings, a subtle pull towards an immaterial or liminal state.
  • Description: This is the most significant perception, hinting at the ward’s true power over presence and attachment.
  • Positive: Signals the ward’s unique, spiritual properties.
  • Negative: Could be unnerving or disorienting, especially for those unprepared.

Recipe: Ward 17 of Emptiness
Crafting this unique ward requires not only specific ingredients and skills but also a meditative mindset and a location steeped in spiritual significance.

• Materials Needed:
  • Reliquary Component: A bone fragment from an ascetic, a tattered page from a sacred text, or a shard of crystal from a place of deep meditation.
  • Conduit: A smooth, unadorned object of either obsidian, clear quartz, or moonstone.
  • Binding Element: Threads from a simple robe worn during long periods of spiritual practice.
  • Essence of Absence: Collected dew from a graveyard at midnight, smoke from incense with purifying properties, or a sliver of lunar silver.
• Tools Required:
  • Ritual knife or etching tool
  • Mortar and pestle
  • Cauldron or brazier (for controlled burning)
• Skill Requirements:
  • Ritual Lore: Knowledge of rituals involving connection to the spiritual plane and warding practices.
  • Meditation: At least a basic understanding of meditative practices focused on detachment and transcendence.
  • Inscription or Imbuement: The ability to either delicately etch runes or symbols, or to infuse an object with magical energy.
• Crafting Steps:
  • Preparation: Locate a place with both personal and spiritual resonance (an isolated hermitage, an ancient monument). Begin preparation three days ahead with daily meditation and fasting.
  • Inscription:  On the night of the new moon, carefully inscribe symbols of impermanence and release onto the conduit object. Utilize the energy flow from your meditative state as you work.
  • Infusion: Grind the reliquary component to a fine powder. Combine with the Essence of Absence in the mortar and pestle. If using smoke or silver, allow it to infuse the powdered remains.
  • Binding: While visualizing the flow of impermanent energy, wrap the conduit with the threads. Seal the binding with the infused, ashen remains.
  • Consecration:  Place the bound object in a ritual circle or protective arrangement. Ignite a small brazier using only purified incense. Hold the item within the smoke, directing your thoughts towards the weakening of physical bonds and the power of absence.
• Additional Notes:
  • Crafting time can vary based on the crafter’s abilities. The meditative preparation process adds significantly to the overall time investment.
  • The environment significantly influences the creation of the ward. An ill-chosen location with chaotic energy could disrupt or warp the final product.

Ballad of the Fading Stone

From mists before memory, this tale does whisper…

Long ago, beyond the count of suns, did wander a seeker-soul named Anya.  The world’s weight was heavy upon her, clutching tight her joy like a fading echo.  In stone caves and moonlit groves did she plead for respite, but only the hungry howl of the wind did answer.

It was told that high upon a mountain unseen by mortal eyes, dwelt a wise one, cloaked in the threads of silence. Anya climbed, heart burdened, each step a plea for release. At last, amidst clouds spun thin as spider silk, she found the hermit’s hut, woven not of wood and stone, but of whispers and fading light.

Anya spoke her lament, of grasping hands and clinging sorrows. The old one only smiled, eyes like deep pools mirroring forgotten stars. In the hut’s dimness, from an unseen pocket, the wise one withdrew a rough stone, etched with signs lost to time.

“This,” the old one’s voice rasped, “Is the Stone That Was Not. To wield it is to embrace the wind, to walk between echoes.” Trembling, Anya took the talisman, its touch leaving a cold that did not linger.

Back into the clamor did she journey, Stone That Was Not held close. Yet, a strangeness grew around her. Objects seemed less sharp, voices more distant, as if the world itself were drawing back. In a bustling market,  thieves came, grasping for coin, but their fingers passed through Anya as through mist. Her own possessions turned insubstantial, slipping from her grasp like fleeting thoughts.

Despair clawed at Anya’s throat. It was release, yes, but a cold and terrible void. Frantic, she raced back to the unseen mountain peak, only to find the hut vanished, as if it had never been. Dropping to her knees, she wept for what was lost, and what may never have been found.

Yet, through her tears, she saw a single white flower, blooming beside a barren boulder. Cupping it in her palm, its frail beauty was startlingly real, vivid against the emptiness. She understood then – the Stone was not meant to erase the world, but the chains we put upon our heart. In that moment, her touch grew solid again, the mountain air sharp against her skin.

And though the Stone That Was Not crumbled to dust at Anya’s feet, its lesson bloomed anew within her.

Thus, the tale warns us: Release is born not from absence, but from discerning the heart of what truly remains.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

• Item Description: A Ward of Emptiness manifests as varied objects (obsidian disk, ancient scroll, etc.) bearing unsettlingly faint carvings. An unsettling coolness suffuses the artifact.
• Sanity Cost: Activating the ward costs 1/1D4 Sanity. Witnessing its otherworldly effects might cost additional Sanity.
• Skill Checks:
  • Occult or Knowledge (History): Unraveling the ward’s origins, potential uses.
  • Spot Hidden: Noticing the subtle visual and tactile manifestations of the ward.
  • Willpower: Resisting the disorienting detachment induced by the ward.
• Effect: Inside the ward’s effect, physical forms fade, sounds dim. Attacks suffer penalties (-20% on relevant skills?). Attempts to directly harm someone inside are at a disadvantage. The space feels charged with otherworldly coldness.
• Extra-sensory: Prolonged exposure inside the ward may grant unsettling dreams or fleeting visions of otherworldly figures.

Blades in the Dark

• Tier: A Ward of Emptiness is likely a Tier II occult item, given its rarity and unusual effects.
• Acquisition: Obtained through occult contacts, expeditions to strange ruins, or as payment for dangerous spiritual favors.
• Attunement: Requires Attunement, draining 1 or 2 Load upon activating its primary ability.
• Actions:
  • Survey: Assess a situation for lurking spirits or ghostly activity (using your Attune stat).
  • Resist/Endure: Resist the pull of ghosts or resist unsettling distractions caused by the ward’s power.
  • Skirmish or Prowl: Temporarily fade from your foe’s sight or slip through narrow gaps thanks to the ward’s weakening of material reality. (Limited effect, likely with potential consequences or reduced effect dice).

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

• Rarity: Very Rare or Legendary, depending on power level desired.
• Item Type: Wondrous Item (requires attunement)
• Mechanics:
  • Effect: 10-foot radius sphere of effect for 1 hour. Creatures inside it appear translucent, attacks against them have disadvantage.
  • Spirit Sight: The attuned user can see spectral figures briefly within the ward’s area (1/day for a short perception window).
  • Discorporate: As an action, the user can become entirely immaterial for one round, immune to non-magical attacks.

Knave

• Cost: Expensive – possibly worth hundreds, if not thousands, of coins.
• Burden: 1 or 2, due to its size and the need for ritual preparation.
• Mechanics:
  • Defense: +2 Defense against mundane attacks within the ward’s small area. Disadvantage on enemy attack rolls.
  • Insight: Grants short, cryptic visions that the Knave must interpret; might be tied to GM rolls or item-specific lore tables.
  • Ethereal Step: Briefly step out of reality. (Risky maneuver! Could vanish entirely, attract unwanted attention, etc.)

Fate (Core or Accelerated)

• Aspect: Ward of Emptiness, Relic of Detached Sages. This item could function as both a character Aspect for the user, as well as an environmental Aspect attached to its zone of influence.
• Compels: The Ward’s influence might make physical actions (“Grapple the Foe”, “Pick the Lock”) more difficult within its area. Compels could also focus on moments of detachment causing social awkwardness or missed opportunities for gain.
• Invokes:
  • Resist distractions for razor-sharp focus (“Overcome: Willpower”).
  • Slip unnoticed by those heavily invested in the material world (“Create an Advantage: Stealth”).
  • Sense unseen spiritual influences (“Create an Advantage: Notice”)

Numenera & Cypher System

• Artifact (Level 5-7): The Ward is a subtle artifact, unlikely to reveal its true purpose on casual inspection.
• Depletion: 1 in 1d10 on activation.
• Effect: Area within a short range fades. Attacks against creatures inside receive an asset. Additionally:
  • User can expend intellect points to perceive lingering spirits or traces of the past.
  • Risky Action: User can briefly become insubstantial, passing through obstacles (possible depletion penalties or side effects)

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

• Rarity: Very Rare or Unique.
• Item Level: Depends on power desired, likely within the 8-12 range.
• Traits: Magical, Occult, possibly Cursed if the detachment aspect is played up. Requires investment in Occultism.
• Effects
  • Warding aura grants allies Concealment (with the obscured condition imposed on attackers).
  • User might learn Occult spells relating to invisibility or spirit communication.
  • Risk of becoming phased out, requiring magical assistance to return. (A thematic curse)

Savage Worlds

• Arcane Background (The Empty Path): The Ward could be linked to a specialized Arcane Background. Edges based around it might feature:
  • Spectral Sight: Brief glimpses of ghostly activity.
  • Fade: Become momentarily insubstantial (similar to Bolt power with different trappings).
  • Hindrance (Detachment): Complications may arise due to disconnection from the material world.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

• Item Type: Ritual Focus (Force 4-6 depending on desired power). The Ward would appeal to mystical adepts, aspected magicians, or hermetic mages following paths seeking transcendence from the material world.
• Effect:
  • The Ward establishes a small astral barrier, disrupting material and astral forms within its radius. Security cameras glitch, spirits grow indistinct, and attacks falter in the zone.
  • Awakened characters: Gain dice pool bonuses to meditation, astral perception of otherworldly entities, and resisting distraction related to mundane concerns.
  • Drawback: Awakened characters within the ward could have difficulties performing forceful magical actions like combat spells or summoning.

Starfinder

• Item Level: At least 7-8 to reflect its rarity and mystical connection.
• Item Category: Hybrid item (both Magical and Technological). This reflects the blend of spiritual and technology present in Starfinder.
• Abilities:
  • Within the ward, creatures may gain partial concealment bonuses or DR against weapon attacks as their forms destabilize slightly.
  • Users attuned to mysticism (Mystics, Solarians with relevant connections) gain bonuses to perception related to phasing beings or creatures existing on multiple planes.
  • Technomancers might be able to utilize the ward’s energy disruption on a minor scale, scrambling nearby signals or causing devices to malfunction briefly.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

• Tech Level: Pre-industrial (TL0 to TL 3), but its true function might baffle those from highly technological cultures. Considered an obscure relic.
• Psionic Requirement: Likely has a Psionic Strength prerequisite for activation (around 6 or higher).
• Effects:
  • Provides protection against low-level telepathic intrusion. Scrambles the thoughts of psionic individuals trying to target those within the ward.
  • Aids in meditative practices focused on detachment, granting skill bonuses to relevant Psionic disciplines.
  • Disrupts technological sensors and scanners on very basic equipment (cameras, motion detectors, etc.) at higher Tech Levels.

Warhammer 40k (Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader)

• Lore: Warp Artifact of ambiguous origin, rumored to be from an extinct Xenos species or linked to forgotten Aeldari mystics. Corrupting or unpredictable due to its warp connection.
• Mechanics:
  • Area within the ward becomes eerily still and subtly distorted, imposing penalties on ranged attacks and perception-based tests.
  • Psykers: Might suffer perils of the warp as reality weakens, but their powers related to phasing or illusions are empowered.
  • Risk: Attract denizens of the warp – minor daemons, psychic emanations – making its use extremely dangerous for the unprepared.